1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to protective fittings and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to protective fittings for covering the terminal end of a conduit to prevent damage to wiring extending therefrom, wherein the protective fittings can be releaseably threaded onto the end of the terminal end of the conduit.
2. Background Art
Protective fittings and/or coupling have been known in the art for years, and are the subject of numerous patents, including: U.S. Pat. No. 1,800,348 entitled “Conduit Sleeve,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,491 entitled “End Fittings for Flexible Hoses, Conduits, or the Like,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,219 entitled “Flexible Conduit Connector,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,869 entitled “Constant Grip Flexible Connector for Flexible Electrical Conduit,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,532 entitled “Flexible Conduit Connector,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,544 entitled “Connector for Flexible Electrical Conduit,” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,909 entitled “Conduit Connection”—all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety including the references cited therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,800,348 appears to disclose connectors adapted to connect flexible metallic conduits to outlet boxes and the like. The general object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved connector embodying means to rigidly grip a conduit and to protect the electric wires extending through said conduit into the box or other element to which the connector is secured.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,491 appears to disclose end fittings for flexible hoses, conduits or the like and particularly electrical conduits intended to enclose a number of individual electrical conductors which are bunched together and usually soldered to a multi-pin plug or other type of electrical connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,219 appears to disclose electrical cable connections and more particularly to a connector for securing a flexible conduit to a terminal box.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,869 appears to disclose a constant grip flexible connector apparatus for flexible electrical conduit which comprises a coupling portion to provide a threaded engagement with the electrical conduit and a positive connection for electrical connection between the conduit and the connector and a threaded coupling for connection to a junction box.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,532 appears to disclose a coupling assembly including a double-female connector for connecting two sections of flexible electrical conduit. An internal abutment between the ends of the connector limits the insertion of the conduit sections. The inner surfaces of the connector on both sides of the abutment are tapered to constrict the inserted conduit sections. The connector has external threading on both ends and external flats between the threading to which a wrench may be applied.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,544 appears to disclose a connector for a liquid tight, flexible electrical conduit formed of a plurality of interlocking, thin, arcuate metal ring sections having an interior wall of alternating ridges and grooves. The connector includes a ferrule end insertable into the conduit with a plurality of spatially separated arcuate segments matching the conduit grooves for threadable engagement. A resilient seat member snug fit onto the ferrule is engaged by the conduit end as the conduit is threaded onto the ferrule to sealingly terminate the full perimeter edge of the conduit end, thereby enabling the conduit and connector assembly to be air and liquid tight. One or more ramp formed barbs are provided on one or more of the ferrule arcuate segments to lock and secure the connector on the conduit and prevent undesired loosening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,909 appears to disclose a connector for a rigid electrical conduit which has an internal cylindrical socket sized to snugly receive the end of the conduit. A spring leaf detent is externally mounted on the connector body, with a free end of the leaf extending through a slot in the connector body side wall. Inserting a conduit into the socket deflects the spring leaf away from the socket axis, thereby generating a resilient stress in the leaf that enables the free end of the leaf to exert a gripping action on the conduit. The grip action can be removed by unloosening a screw that is used to mount the leaf spring on the connector body.
While the above-identified patents do appear to provide protective fittings and/or coupling for conduit, their configurations remain non-desirous and/or problematic inasmuch as, among other things, none of the above-identified apparatuses appear to disclose a protective fitting for association with the terminal end of a conduit to prevent wiring extending therefrom from contacting a peripheral edge of the terminal end of the conduit—among other things.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a protective fitting, which, among other things, remedies the aforementioned detriments and/or complications associated with the use of the above-identified, conventional protective fittings and/or couplings.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.